How do you choose to live your life?
That's a bit of a loaded question, so let's break it down.
I have always been painfully aware of time - how quickly it passes, how much might lay before me, how it aligns with my successes. Too often I've thought to myself, "This isn't where I wanted to be at this point in my life." Or: "It's too late to make the Forbes 30 under 30 list." Or: "Now I won't be able to be the youngest Academy Award winner." I dreamed big, worked hard, and succeeded, but there was always something out of my grasp - something that passed by me while I was busy doing something else. I often cite the economics principle that everything has an opportunity cost; while you are doing thing A, you are not doing thing B - it's a fact of life. It's not possible to be on two trains at once, even if both destinations are appealing (or even if both trains are arriving at the same depot!); thus, it is up to you to choose your journey. And that is how you spend your time.
If 2020 provided any silver linings, it allowed some of us the luxury of perspective. In a time when everything seems bleak, every action dire, every interaction risky, we are forced to refocus our lens and put our lives into perspective. What is worth the risk? What is worth our time?
When I would sulk about not getting to my destination fast enough or not having enough time in the day to do all of the things I wanted to do, my father would remind me of this simple fact:
We all have 24 hours in a day.
Think about it. Einstein had 24 hours. Newton had 24 hours. Michael Jordan had 24 hours. Steve Jobs had 24 hours. You have 24 hours. How you choose to spend it is up to you.
In other words, time is the great equalizer. Everyone has been given the same budget - 24 hours. Some of us have no choice but to fill our hours with work just to make ends meet, but even in those hours, we can choose our mindset. We can choose to find joy in our work or to accept what comes our way, even when it is not favorable. And when we do have time to rest, to play, to live out our passions, we are given the gift of time and the opportunity to choose how to spend that time.
Our mindset, our feelings, our actions, and our interactions fuel our experiences. If you look at your agenda for tomorrow, you may have meetings on your work calendar that are non-negotiable, or deadlines that must be met. If that is what you have to fill your day with, why not reframe your situation positively to get the most out of it? And when you finish your workday and find space in between work and dinner or dinner and sleep, you can choose how to spend that time. And that is how you live your life.
The way that we spend that time often comes down to a hierarchy of our values and beliefs, and how they fuel our aspirations. If you are content with your job and aren't eyeing the position above yours, you may turn your attention elsewhere in your downtime and do something else that matters to you - reading, knitting, running. If you are hungry for a promotion and know what you need to do to get there, you may take courses, join professional networks, read business books, or build your resume. If you value family and tradition, you may choose to enjoy dinner with your parents each Wednesday night or a cozy night in with your spouse, uninterrupted. If you aim to increase the amount of rest you allow yourself after working on a computer all day, you may choose to unplug in the evening. If you love nature and believe exercise is vital to a long, healthy life, you may spend your moments outside on a hike or inside doing a workout video. Even if we don't plan our entire lives out, what we do in each moment - consciously or subconsciously - tends to support our innermost values and beliefs. If you find yourself frustrated with lack of time, you may find that your obligations or choices are not in alignment with your values and are making you regret the way you spend your time. Being aware of that may help you make small tweaks to live a happier life, whether you can choose to change the evening's events or simply engage in them with a more positive mindset.
Tomorrow, infuse your day with a small dose of self-awareness. Consider how you spend your mornings - what your first thoughts and actions are. Are you happy with your morning routine? If not, try changing something that will help you start your day with more intention, positivity, and fulfillment. Think about how you get through the workday. If you are dreading a meeting, explore why that might be, and see if there is a way to fix it - maybe there is a skill you can work on, or some restructuring you can control, or a new mindset you can try to adopt. Think about how you create a barrier between work and life, and how you spend your evenings. Are you doing things that will get you where you want to be? Are you doing things that make you happy in the moment? What is most important to you, and are your actions reflecting your values and beliefs? And right before bed, what is the last thing you do? Could you add some gratitude or reflection into your nighttime routine, or are you content with how the sun sets on one day and prepares for the next? Simply wonder how you approach each chunk of time throughout the day and pay attention to how you feel. Your feelings may be telling you something deeper about the way you spend your time and where you place your attention each day.
Your time is your currency. Spend it wisely.
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